A Thriller Story: The Secret of Rosewood Manor
It was a chilly autumn evening when Emma and her little brother Jack arrived at Rosewood Manor.
Their parents had inherited the old mansion from an unknown relative, and today was the day they were finally going to see it for the first time.
“Do you think it’s haunted?” Jack asked, his eyes wide with curiosity.
Emma laughed. “Of course not! It’s just an old house. But… it does look a little spooky, doesn’t it?”
The manor stood at the edge of the town, surrounded by tall trees and an iron fence that had been overgrown with ivy. Its windows were dark, and the heavy wooden door creaked as it opened, letting out a gust of cold air.
Inside, the house smelled of dust and old books. The walls were lined with paintings, but the place felt empty, like it had been abandoned for years.
Their parents were already exploring the downstairs rooms, so Emma and Jack decided to investigate the upper floor.
As they made their way up the grand staircase, Jack stopped at the landing and pointed to a door at the end of the hall.
“Look, that door’s locked,” he said.
Emma frowned. “Let’s check it out.”
They walked toward the door, and Emma tried the handle. It was locked, just like Jack had said. But she noticed something strange: there was a faint light coming from underneath the door, even though no one was inside.
“That’s odd,” Emma murmured. “Why is there light in a locked room?”
Jack pulled at her sleeve. “Let’s find the key!”
They searched the hallway for a while, opening old cabinets and drawers, but they couldn’t find anything that looked like a key.
As they were about to give up, Emma noticed a small keyhole in the wall next to the door. It was so tiny that she almost missed it.
“What’s that?” Jack asked, peering over her shoulder.
Emma leaned closer. It looked like a small hidden compartment. She pressed on the wall, and to her surprise, a small drawer slid out. Inside, there was an old, rusty key.
“Jack, I think we’ve found it!” Emma said, holding up the key.
With a mix of excitement and fear, they inserted the key into the lock. The door creaked open slowly, revealing a room filled with dust and cobwebs.
It looked like no one had been in there for years. But what caught their attention was the large, antique mirror hanging on the far wall. The mirror’s frame was made of dark wood and had strange carvings that Emma didn’t recognize.
“Wow,” Jack whispered. “That mirror is huge.”
Emma walked up to it, feeling a strange pull. The mirror seemed to glow in the dim light, though there was no obvious source of light in the room.
She stared at her reflection for a moment, then noticed something odd. In the reflection, she didn’t just see herself and Jack; she saw a woman standing behind them.
“Jack, look!” Emma said, turning around quickly.
But there was no one there. The room was empty.
“Did you see that?” Emma asked, her voice shaky.
Jack was wide-eyed. “Yeah, I did! What was that?”
They both stared at the mirror again, but now the woman was gone. Emma felt a chill run down her spine. “I don’t know what that was, but I don’t think we should be in here.”
Just as they were about to leave, a soft whisper echoed in the room.
“Help me…”
Emma froze. The whisper sounded like it was coming from the mirror itself. She turned toward it, her heart pounding in her chest. “Did you hear that?”
Jack nodded, his face pale. “Yeah, it came from the mirror!”
The whisper grew louder. “Help me…”
Without thinking, Emma reached out and touched the mirror. As soon as her fingers made contact with the glass, she felt a sudden jolt.
The mirror rippled like water, and before she knew what was happening, she was pulled into it.
“Emma!” Jack screamed, but his voice sounded far away.
Emma found herself in a strange, dark world. The air was thick and cold, and the ground felt soft, almost like sand. She looked around, confused, and saw the woman from the mirror standing in front of her.
“Who are you?” Emma asked, her voice trembling.
The woman looked at her with sad eyes. “I am Eleanor Rosewood,” she said softly. “I’ve been trapped here for years.”
“Trapped?” Emma asked, feeling both scared and curious. “How did you get trapped in the mirror?”
Eleanor’s face grew even sadder. “I was the last member of the Rosewood family. One day, I discovered a secret hidden within this house—an ancient treasure, powerful enough to change everything. But I made a mistake. I tried to use the treasure, and it trapped me in this mirror.”
Emma’s heart raced. “A treasure? What kind of treasure?”
Eleanor looked around, her gaze distant. “The treasure is hidden in this house, deep beneath the ground. But beware, the mirror is only one part of the trap. You must find the treasure and destroy it before it’s too late.”
Before Emma could ask any more questions, the ground beneath her feet began to shake. She stumbled, and suddenly, everything went dark.
Emma woke up with a start, lying back in the dusty old room. Jack was standing over her, looking frantic.
“Emma! Are you okay?” Jack asked, his voice full of worry.
Emma sat up quickly, still in shock. “I… I don’t know. I saw the woman—the one from the mirror. She told me about a treasure hidden in this house.”
Jack’s eyes widened. “A treasure? But… what happened to the mirror?”
Emma turned toward the wall. The mirror was still there, but it no longer glowed. It was just an ordinary, dusty mirror.
“We have to find this treasure, Jack,” Emma said, standing up. “It’s the only way to help her.”
Jack nodded, determined. “Let’s go. We’ll figure it out together.”
They left the room and headed back down the hall, but something told Emma that the house held more secrets than they could ever imagine.
The treasure was still out there, waiting for them to find it—and time was running out. The mystery of Rosewood Manor was far from over.
More stories:
- The Shadow in the Attic Short Story
- Short Animal Stories in English
- 2 Simple English Stories for Kids
- Two Short Stories About Animals
- Easy English Stories for Young Learners
- English Stories for Kids: The Midnight Train
Resources:
- American Literature – 75 Short-Short Stories
- Project Gutenberg – Short Stories
- The New Yorker – Fiction
- British Council – Story Zone
